The sun rose once again over Light City.
While Lauren was still asleep, Ryuzo sat beside his parents and spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry... This was my fault. If I had been stronger back then... you wouldn't have had to do that. I knew there would be a side effect!"
Ryuzo slammed his fist into the floor.
"It's not your fault, Ryuzo. Don't blame yourself," Yuki, Lauren's father, said. "They were too strong. We had no choice."
"But I could have done it instead of you!" Ryuzo replied. "I could have used Death. With that ability, I could have defeated them quickly."
"Back then, you could only use Death at Stage 1. You know what would have happened if you had used it for too long."
Yuki paused.
"We did what we had to do because we thought there wouldn't be any side effects. But what's done is done, Ryuzo. We made our choice, and we can't change it now."
Ryuzo lowered his head.
He had nothing to say.
Some time passed.
Lauren finally woke up.
Still half-asleep, he slowly sat up and looked toward the door.
Something was strange.
The door, which had been crooked and barely able to close, was now completely repaired.
Even the old doorknob had been replaced.
It must have been Ryuzo, Lauren thought.
He picked Ash'vour up from the floor and opened the door.
Ryuzo was sitting at the table, eating a baked potato.
"Good morning, Lauren."
Lauren smiled.
He sat down beside Ryuzo, then pointed toward the door and back at him.
"C-C-C-C... fix?"
Lauren struggled to finish the word.
"You mean, did I fix the door?" Ryuzo asked.
Lauren nodded.
Ryuzo looked at the door.
His eyes widened.
He stood up and walked over to it.
He opened it.
Then he closed it.
It was perfectly repaired.
"I was planning to fix it," Ryuzo said slowly, "but... I wasn't the one who fixed it."
He thought for a moment.
"Let's not worry about it for now. At least it's something good."
Ryuzo turned back toward Lauren.
"Putting that aside, Lauren... I have something important to tell you."
He picked up two baked potatoes and handed them to Lauren.
"But first, eat this."
Before eating, Lauren silently thanked his parents for the food, just as they had taught him.
He quickly finished both potatoes.
"Thank you, Ryuzo."
"You're welcome, Lauren. Now, sit down."
Ryuzo's expression became serious.
"Tomorrow, someone is coming. I invited him, and, coincidentally, he wanted to come here as well."
Lauren looked at him curiously.
"I can't tell you much yet. I don't want to worry you. I'll explain everything tomorrow."
Ryuzo took a breath.
"As for the school... it will take about two years to rebuild, thanks to the help of the Fontenelle family."
Lauren listened silently.
"Unfortunately, five people died. Nine hundred and ninety-three students were injured, along with five teachers."
Lauren's eyes widened.
Tears began to fall down his face.
Was all of this my fault?
Lauren placed a hand on his head.
His body suddenly weakened, and he fell from his chair.
He began to cry silently.
Ryuzo immediately stood up and rushed over to him.
"Lauren!"
He knelt beside him and pulled him into a hug.
"Are you okay? Don't cry, Lauren. Be strong!"
Ryuzo held him tightly.
"This didn't happen because you wanted it to, Lauren. Your powers simply went out of control!"
Lauren's eyes suddenly turned completely white.
"LAUREN!"
For a moment, everything went still.
Then, suddenly...
His golden eyes returned.
His pink hair began to turn blue.
His clothes changed completely.
A katana appeared hanging from his waist.
The boy slowly looked at Ryuzo.
And smiled.
"Who are you?"
Ryuzo froze.
"And what did you do with Lauren?"
The boy gave a quiet laugh.
Then he laughed louder.
And louder.
Until he burst into hysterical laughter.
"I can't believe he lost control over five little deaths."
He laughed again.
"He has to be an idiot."
His laughter grew louder.
"I can't believe none of you could stop him! Not even one teacher managed to do it?"
He threw his head back.
"WHAT A JOKE! HAHAHA!"
He looked around the ruined house.
"One student managed to destroy an entire school while there were teachers present!"
He sneered.
"It must have been a crappy school. Useless teachers who can't even fight, yet they want to teach someone!"
His eyes moved around the room.
"And this filthy house?"
He looked down at his shoes.
"This place is going to get my shoes dirty!"
He looked around again.
"There isn't even electricity!"
He scoffed.
"And there's no food! I'm going to have to go out at night just to find something to eat, or I'll starve!"
He looked directly at Ryuzo.
"And on top of all that, your weakness is making me even more irritated."
He smiled.
"You're all so weak."
He turned his attention toward the outside.
"I think this little country could disappear from the map and nobody would even miss it."
Ryuzo's expression darkened.
"How does a country only have one school?"
The boy continued.
"And those so-called 'friends' of his?"
He laughed.
"They didn't do a damn thing! They just stood there and got beaten up!"
He paused.
"The only one who actually tried was Fontenelle."
His smile disappeared.
"But she's so weak that she would have been better off doing nothing!"
Ryuzo clenched his fist.
"Who do you think you are to say all that?"
His voice grew louder.
"Huh?!"
The boy looked at him.
"Huh?"
His expression suddenly became serious.
In an instant, he disappeared.
Ryuzo's eyes widened.
The boy appeared behind him and punched him directly in the back.
BOOM!
Ryuzo was sent crashing into the ground with tremendous force.
The impact created a deep crater beneath him.
Ryuzo slowly got back up.
Then he rushed toward the boy at incredible speed.
His fist came within inches of the boy's face—
but Ryuzo couldn't finish the punch.
The boy smiled.
"Can't do it, can you?"
He laughed.
"I'm not Lauren."
He looked directly into Ryuzo's eyes.
"I'm Lane."
"Then go ahead," Lane said. "Punch me as much as you want."
Lane stood completely still.
Ryuzo threw punch after punch.
But none of them landed.
Every time Ryuzo looked at Lane, all he could see was Lauren.
"Doing this will only make your situation worse."
Lane suddenly kicked Ryuzo in the face.
Ryuzo crashed to the ground.
He slowly stood back up.
I just need to imagine that he isn't Lauren.
He isn't Lauren.
Ryuzo closed his eyes and gathered all his fury into his fist.
He charged forward.
His punch was about to land—
"Ryuzo... it's me, Lauren!"
Ryuzo stopped.
His eyes opened.
Lane was standing there.
Laughing.
Before Ryuzo could react, Lane punched him directly in the face.
Ryuzo crashed to the ground again.
The noise woke Lauren's parents.
"Ryuzo? What's happening?" Yuki asked.
"Don't worry! It's nothing! Stay there!" Ryuzo shouted.
Lane grabbed Ryuzo and began throwing him around.
He slammed him into the walls.
Then the floor.
Then the walls again.
Punch after punch.
Ryuzo's body was covered in injuries.
Blood ran from his mouth as he lay on the ground.
Lane looked down at him.
"DEATH!"
A strange energy suddenly began to emerge from Ryuzo's body.
Lane raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
"So you have Death?"
Ryuzo slowly stood up.
Lane attacked again.
This time, Ryuzo managed to defend himself against the attacks.
But he couldn't counterattack.
Lane grabbed the sheathed katana from his waist.
Then he began striking Ryuzo with it.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Ryuzo blocked one strike.
Then another.
But the attacks became faster.
He couldn't defend against all of them.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Finally, Ryuzo deactivated Death.
Lane laughed.
"Haha... How weak."
He tilted his head.
"Is that Death's Final Stage 1?"
Lane smiled.
"That wouldn't even make me flinch."
He laughed again.
"And I didn't even need to worry."
Lane pointed at Ryuzo.
"You don't even attack."
Meanwhile, Somewhere Else...
"Your Majesty!"
A servant rushed into the throne room.
"An enemy army has invaded the country! They're stealing money and food from the people! What should we do, sir?"
The king calmly finished his drink.
"Bring me another one."
"Yes, sir."
The servant quickly obeyed.
After receiving the order, he turned to return to his post.
Then another servant rushed into the room.
"Your Majesty!"
"What is it now?"
"They're coming to attack the palace!"
The king's expression immediately changed.
"Send the Ten Yukais and their apprentices!"
He slammed his hand against the armrest.
"Now! Don't let them lay a finger on my palace!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Back to the Fight...
Ryuzo lay on the ground.
He could barely move.
Lane slowly extended his hand.
He was about to deliver the final blow.
But suddenly—
someone grabbed Lane's hand.
Lane froze.
"Who's there?"
He turned his head.
His eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
To be continued...